Quirky attractions dotted Knott's Berry Farm area over the years

There was a time – not centuries ago, either – when alligators roamed Buena Park.

An old-world Japanese village, where deer nuzzled up to tourists and schools of golden carp swam in a lagoon, once made up an enclave here, too.

Visitors to the city were once thrilled by dancing stallions, got up-close looks at cars that appeared on the big screen and were awed by wax likenesses of Hollywood’s elite.

Such attractions – the California Alligator Farm, Movieland Wax Museum, Japanese Deer Park, Cars of the Stars and many others – sprang up over six decades on or near Beach Boulevard … and then went away.

The attractions varied in terms of tenure – less than 10 years to four decades – before disappearing for good.

Their owners were likely trying to capitalize on the popularity of nearby Knott’s Berry Farm or Disneyland, just a short drive down I-5, said Chris Jepsen, president of the Orange County Historical Society.

The alligator farm at 7671 La Palma Ave., just north of Knott’s park, existed from 1953 to 1984 and featured alligators sailing down a steep slide, among its attractions.

In his book “Early Amusement Parks of Orange County,” author Richard Harris wrote that dwindling crowds prompted the farm to close.

“It seems like it struggled along for a long time. It didn’t seem to be as hot an attraction as all the others,” Jepsen said.

The “weird factor” kept tourists interested for a while, said Jepsen, who is also an archivist for the Orange County Archives.

The Japanese Village & Deer Park, in one of its promotional brochures, boasted of being “America’s only authentic Japanese deer park with deer imported from Nara, Japan,” and promised the “enchantment of Old Japan … right here in Buena Park.” The deer park was on Knott Avenue near I-5. The attraction existed from 1967 to 1974.

“The problem was that it didn’t have any one thing that was a big draw,” Jepsen said. “It didn’t survive over the long haul.”

The Movieland Wax Museum, an iconic fixture on Beach Boulevard north of Knott’s from 1962 to 2005, housed the images of megastars such as John Wayne, Lucille Ball, Marilyn Monroe and Humphrey Bogart. The museum ultimately gave way to declining attendance.

Before its closure, owner Rodney Fong told the Register that the museum had become a “third-day attraction,” meaning it was typically the final choice for tourists who had spent their money at Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm.

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! museum drew more than 2.5 million visitors during its 19-year run on Beach Boulevard before closing in 2009, according to the attraction’s website.

The Torch, an Indian restaurant, now occupies the building.

New attractions continue to replace their predecessors.

Among the newest is “Bodies … The Exhibition,” where real, preserved human bodies replaced the wax ones.